DUSHANBE (World Bank press service) — Representatives from the Global Financing Facility for Women, Children and Adolescents (GFF) met their Tajikistan counterparts in Dushanbe this week to mark the start of the country’s membership in the global initiative.

A partnership of governments, multilateral and bilateral development institutions, technical partners, the private sector, and civil society organizations, GFF serves as a coordination platform for policy-makers around the world to tackle health and nutrition issues more effectively, not least by improving donor coordination and increasing the efficiency in the use of domestic and international resources. The GFF Trust Fund acts as a catalyst for additional financing and improved development effectiveness. Consequently, countries using modest GFF Trust Fund grants can significantly increase domestic resources and crowd in additional World Bank financing, aligned external financing, and/or private sector resources.

“We hope that by uniting efforts with the Global Financing Facility partnership, we will be able to reduce maternal and child mortality rates and support our overall health system reform agenda”, said Dr. Nasimkhuja Olimzoda, Minister of Health and Social Protection of the Republic of Tajikistan, adding “Tajikistan is the youngest and fastest growing country in the region of Europe and Central Asia, so programs supporting the well-being of women and children are of greatest priority for us.”

In May 2019, nine new countries, including Tajikistan, joined GFF, supported by the World Bank Group. This has brought the total number of GFF-supported countries to thirty-six. In this, Tajikistan is a pioneer: it is the first country in the Europe and Central Asia region to have joined the GFF.

“We are pleased to support the Government of the Republic of Tajikistan as it seeks to improve the health and nutrition of women, children, and adolescents,” said Jakub Kakietek, GFF Focal Point for Tajikistan, adding “The Government’s leadership in investing in health and nutrition will save lives and, in so doing support the country’s economic growth potential for years to come.”

Since 2015, the GFF partnership has supported countries in three ways, by 1) developing an investment case and implementation plan, which prioritizes services and reforms to improve reproductive, maternal, newborn, child, and adolescent health and nutrition outcomes, accelerates progress towards universal health coverage, and improves health financing; 2) strengthening a country-led platform that aligns all key stakeholders around this investment case and plan, while using data to make decisions and create mutual accountability; and 3) mobilizing and coordinating the financial resources needed to accelerate progress for the most vulnerable populations.